The Rehabilitation Advocacy Tool (RAT) is a practical guide to support advocacy initiatives to raise awareness, understanding and engagement with rehabilitation. The aim The Rehabilitation Advocacy Tool is a practical guide to support advocacy initiatives to raise awareness, understanding and engagement with rehabilitation.is to support the development of organization initiatives that increase awareness and demand for rehabilitation, networking and knowledge-sharing, and for creating a shared understanding and narrative around rehabilitation.
The Rehabilitation Advocacy Tool is a practical guide to support advocacy initiatives to raise awareness, understanding and engagement with rehabilitation.
Many factors that underlie rehabilitation workforce challenges stem from a limited awareness of the role and value of the rehabilitation professions among policy makers, health professionals and the general population. Rehabilitation professionals and organizations should play a pivotal role in raising awareness of the key role and values that rehabilitation professionals play in a quality health service.
The aim of the tool is to support the development of organization initiatives that increase awareness and demand for rehabilitation, networking and knowledge-sharing, and for creating a shared understanding and narrative around rehabilitation. In addition the tool can be used to support initiatives that align with actions related to the WHA resolution and the World Rehabilitation Alliance.
The tool is targeted to any organization that may be involved in rehabilitation advocacy activities. Organizations may include, but are not limited to, ministries, professional associations, regulatory agencies, academic institutions, service providers and development partners. The tool is designed to be suitable for any context and a variety of local demands, and can be used interprofessionally for a shared vision.
The Rehabilitation Advocacy Tool will consist of a workbook with worksheets to guide users in the process of reviewing and developing their organizations advocacy strategy for promoting rehabilitation.
Whilst working through the workbook and worksheets the tool uses a reflective Plan-Do-Assess-Adjust model that focuses on the process of reflecting. The planning, doing, assessing and adjusting process is continuous and will take time to achieve the desired outcomes.
The process of developing and/or reviewing an advocacy strategy can be overwhelming. With commitment from all stakeholders, implementation of the Rehabilitation Advocacy Tool can guide the process. Collaboration of all stakeholders involved is vital to the process and facilitated through focused workshops, regular meetings, mentorship, ongoing discussions, and sharing of ideas and experiences.